Month: June 2017
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The Master Trials: Breath of the Wild DLC Out Now

Are you itching to jump back into Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild? Well a perfect opportunity just presented itself, with the release of the game’s first DLC pack, The Master Trials. The DLC pack can be purchased on the Switch’s EShop right now for $20 in the season pass bundle. Currently there is no way to purchase The Master Trials by itself but hopefully Nintendo will split the two DLC’s in the future. The pack is 456 MB and is available for both the Switch and Wii U versions of the game with the latter coming in at 3.7 GB.

Image Source: http://pvp.live/2sYEFwI

It’s Time For A Challenge

At the forefront of the DLC is a tougher difficulty mode that adds its own save slots so players don’t have to wipe their precious save files. The Master Trials also adds 5 new outfits into the game for fans to wear while adventuring through Hyrule. Included in these handy pieces of clothes are the Korok Mask, Majora’s Mask, Midna’s Helmet, Tingle’s Outfit, and the phantom armor. Players can get this armor by finding the 8 treasure chest that “mysteriously” appear throughout the open world. Also included in the DLC is a Travel Medallion item that lets players set a warp point to teleport back to whenever they so choose. The new content also tracks a path of your journey for those that are curious or lost.

Another huge addition in The Master Trials is the addition of a 45 room challenge dungeon known as The Trial of the Sword. Much like The Cave of Ordeals from previous Zelda entries, players are tasked with clearing floor after floor of monsters that increases with difficulty on every level. Trial takers begin the ordeal naked and unarmed and need to fight their way to the bottom with only the weapons and armor made available during the challenge. When a player completes the challenge they will unlock a version of the master sword that is fully powered up.

Image Source: http://bit.ly/2trGuDu

More To Come

The Master Trials DLC is the first of two expansion packs that Nintendo announced for Breath of the Wild. The second upcoming expansion is named ‘The Champions Ballad’, expected to release this holiday season. Players can expect a new story chapter in The Champions Ballad centered around the four champions from Link’s era Daruk, Mipha, Revali, and Urbosa. Nintendo gave a brief glimpse into the second DLC pack at E3 2017 which you can see below. We are pumped to have a new reason to revisit Breath of the Wild and will keep a close on eye on any updates Nintendo offers for the second DLC, so be sure to keep check back with gigamaxgames.com.

Escape From Tarkov: Closed Beta Available Soon

If you can’t get enough of gritty, realistic and explosive first-person shooters, Escape from Tarkov might just make your day. Developed by the independent Battlestate Games studio, those interested will soon have a chance to join in on the closed beta. Beginning in July, Battlestate Games will be hosting a closed beta, only available to those that pre-ordered Escape from Tarkov at any point in time. So if this is the first time you’ve heard of it and the gameplay footage below caught your eye, there’s still time to jump at the opportunity.

According to the official Escape from Tarkov website, it’s currently being developed for PC and Mac. When asked about a release on consoles in 2016, Nikita Buyanov – COO and Lead Designer at Battlestate Games had some interesting words to say. “While we are interested in bringing the game to consoles, PC version is going to be uncompromisingly feature-rich, and console versions will be adapted ports, not the other way around.” http://bit.ly/2seZfdi

Play on your own through a story-driven scenario based walkthrough or have friends join in to complete raids on large compounds. The maps are expansive, offering a detailed look at the city of Tarkov. Lore will be located around the city, filling the player in, further explaining the world.

Unique Mechanics, Combat & Customization

Using their unique HECS system, standing for – Hazardous Environment Combat Simulor, Battlestate Games wants to deliver a hyper-realistic experience through and through. Weapons are unprecedentedly customizable and players need to keep in mind “real-life ballistics and projectile hit physics.”

They will need to manage their character in a way that’s nearly unheard of in a multiplayer fps. Gamers will be able to monitor their character’s health which consists of hydration, energy, blood pressure, blood loss, fractures, contusions, intoxication, exhaustion tremors and more. All need to be maintained and will have a direct impact on the character’s ability to eliminate their enemies.

More Than Just A Shooter

There is also a great deal of non-combat activities. There will be NPC merchants that will only sell you items once trust is built. A shared economy will react in real-time depending on other players actions and events. You can even become a trader and open up your own store.

It seems like this game has much more to offer than just being another shooter on your hard drive. Escape from Tarkov looks like a welcomed, unique, gritty shooter. If you’re interested in learning more about the game or even want to jump on the closed beta, you can find more on their official website.

Is Doomfist Finally Coming to Overwatch?

After much speculation and waiting, it appears that fans may finally see Doomfist in Overwatch. This hero has been teased almost since the game’s first additional hero, Ana was introduced. From in game posters to a major celebrity visiting Blizzard’s office, players have been anticipating the much fated reveal for almost an entire year.

Overwatch’s latest PTR update suggests that all this waiting is finally over. Aptly titled “Doomfist / Summer Games” it seems Blizzard is finally ready to show off a brand new character and reintroduce the first seasonal event they held. The name for the PTR update was revealed to players that experienced crashes while using the new highlight saving feature, which lets fans save their best “Play of the Game.” After the crash, the following crash log referred to the current version of the PTR as “Doomfist / Summer Games.” As of now the reference has been removed but you can see a screenshot of the original crash log below.

Image Source: http://bit.ly/2tLWu09

Jake Kaplan Weighs In

While the game’s director, Jake Kaplan, has stated that the summer games event could return, no one at Blizzard has said anything about Doomfist. The backstory to the character was only made clear after fans fell in love with the idea of him joining the game. This could all potentially be a joke on Blizzard’s part to extend the hype for the character or the beginning of a long series of frustrating hints, much like Sombra’s reveal. Although Blizzard never officially revealed anything, it hasn’t stopped fans from creating lore or Terry Crews from petitioning to play the character.

The introduction of Doomfist into Overwatch would be an awesome treat for next month. Recently, Blizzard stated that they would like to add something new every month. With the Lunar Colony map released last week fans were already speculating what July would hold and this could be the answer. Gigamax will be keeping a close eye on the Doomfist rumor so make sure to keep checking back for more!

ARMS – Nintendo Switch Playlist with Gigamax Games

ARMS, Nintendo’s new I.P., is finally here and it was well worth the wait. This intense fighter is truly a unique mix of mechanics and chaos. Outfitted with springy arms, the goal is to knock out your opponent before they have the chance to take you out. Jumping around the selection of arenas, players fling their arms at a distance and curve the punches to eliminate their opponent. Barriers located around the ring offer players the chance to wrap their enemies arms up and counter with a devastating blow.

Multiplayer Modes and More!

That was only one of the multiplayer options the game has to offer. V-ball and Hoops are the other game types available. V-ball is literally volleyball but instead of a ball, players play with a bomb on a timer. Once the short timer ends, the orb drops wherever it’s located and a point is scored. Players fight, not with each other, but to keep the ball in the air and on their opponents side of the net.

Hoops, a Gigamax favorite is a variation of half-court basketball, without the ball. Players fight for the opportunity to grab their opponent and either slam-dunk their enemy for two points or launch them across the arena for their chance at a three-pointer.

These game modes and the variety of fighters offer gamers a chance to spend hours throwing extended punches while never getting bored. ARMS truly shines when played with a friend, providing some nail-biting matches. Nintendo has done it again, developing an addictive fighter with some loveable characters.

ARMS – Gigamax YouTube Playlist

Below you will find the ARMS playlist by Gigamax. Watch as Gigs and Mack go head to head, showing off all the multiplayer game modes. There will be more video’s coming soon so be sure to Like, Comment and Subscribe for more in the future.

Final Fantasy XIV Director Wants Game on Switch

Final Fantasy XIV is an amazing MMORPG that has captured the hearts (and wallets) of many players around the world. This game has a pretty hardcore fan base that would love to see it played by as many people as possible. If things go as planed, fans will soon see this experience on two more consoles.

The Inside Scoop

In a recent interview with gaming publication, Kotaku, the game’s director, Naoki Yoshida, stated that “would love for as many players to be on FFXIV as possible” and continued by saying “conversations have been had with Phil Spencer of Microsoft, and the upper management teams of Nintendo.” (http://bit.ly/2tBoW50) Although if this were to happen, Yoshida has one condition that may be the biggest hurdle.

Yoshida confirmed in the interview that if the game were to be made available on both consoles that they must has cross platform play. He stated that the reason this has to happen is because many companies don’t realize how consistent updates and the way servers are maintained and operated for MMO’s go into how the game runs. “Those can become a hurdle when we consider operating FFXIV for an extended period of time,” he said. “So when I talk to those first-party companies, I ask them, ‘Do you have the capability to prepare for that, do you have the resolve that you’re going to make sure to take responsibility and take care of those, do you have that willingness?’

Sony seems like a lost cause in terms of cross platform play. Recently, the company opted out of allowing both Minecraft and Rocket League to be played between the competing consoles. This follows the announcement at Microsoft’s E3 conference where they laid out plans to continue support for cross platform play between the Switch and PC players. Sony currently has no intentions to ever allow cross platform play and may never allow it to happen on their consoles.

Recently Square Enix debuted the most recent expansion for FF XIV, Stormblood and has made it clear that they are going to continue to support the game. Gigamax Games has recently become heavily invested in this game and will keep a close eye on any updates the developer releases so make sure to keep checking back for more.

Necromancer Ready For Its Debut

Finally, Blizzard announces a release date for the Necromancer in Diablo 3. Expected to drop June 27th, both long time Diablo fans and those new to the series are ecstatic about the news. For a long time, Diablo 3 players were promised this new class with very little information on when they will actually receive the update. But now, the time has come.

Gamers will only have to wait a few days to get their hands on the expansion. Those looking for an excuse to redownload or pick the game up again, now have the perfect reason to go back. Even though the class was compared to the Witch Doctor, the developers had to make some changes to the core game to accommodate its unique gameplay.

The Necromancer Stands Out

Let’s take a look at what makes the necromancer stand out and why it might have taken so long to make it available to everyone. One of the main obstacles the developers had to hurdle was the lack of corpses in the original release. When Travis Day, Sr. Game Designer was asked about this, he explained they added enemy corpses when a necromancer is on the map. This may have been one of the leading causes of the hold up in regard to its release.

While the necromancer may have been a headache for the developers, it’s also a treat for the community. A melee focused Necromancer will still be possible in Diablo 3 and the popular summon, Golems will be making an appearance. Unfortunately they will be taking out the poison aspect of the class but the bone skill tree will remain.

There’s Always More At Gigamax!

If you’re a Diablo fan or curious about Diablo 3, jump over to the Diablo Let’s Play Page. There you will find a bunch of videos covering different Diablo 3 updates and discussion surrounding the once elusive Necromancer update.

Check back on Gigamax Games soon for even more information and videos surrounding the upcoming Diablo 3 update.

Call of Cthulhu: Question Your Sanity

Call of Cthulhu is a unique take on the horror genre, mixing a bit of Lovecraft with some Sherlock Holmes and wraps it up in an RPG package. Developed by the seasoned studio, Cyanide Games, they have referred to their game as an “RPG investigation game blending psychological horror and stealth mechanics in a deeply immersive world.” The narrative behind Call of Cthulhu is based on the old short story of the same name by H.P. Lovecraft and the developer is doing wonders for the source material.

Uncovering Secrets and Strange Encounters

Players will fill the role of Edward Pierce, a private detective who’s main goal is to discover the truth behind the death of a prominent local artist and her family. Pierce has always been able to trust his instincts but after a series of whale mutilations and missing bodies, things are starting to get fishy. As you get closer to discovering the cult that worships The Great Dreamer, better known as Cthulhu, reality will bend and break and the player will not be able to trust anything.

The game plays much like one of the Amnesia titles and mind bending reality is just the start of the spooky things the player will encounter throughout their journey. Darkwater Island is also home to a mysterious cult that may or may not have octopus like faces and definitely wants to murder intruders. With only a lantern by their side, players will have to avoid these angry octopus men and Cthulhu himself when the game releases this year on PC, Xbox One, and PS4.

Final Thoughts

We’re very excited to play this game and the trailers Cyanide Games have shown off give the impression that a lot of love has been put into this title. Call of Cthulhu is obviously crafted by a team that has done their research. For a better impression of what it will play like, check out the trailer from E3 2017 below and for news on everything gaming keep checking back with Gigamax Games!

Does Whatever A Spiderman Does

I firmly believe that Sony could have walked on stage, shown off the new Spiderman trailer, dropped the mic and walked out. Everyone knew that this game was going to be a treat but no one thought it was going to be as cool as that trailer looked. Not only did the web slinger move and crack jokes like we’d expect him too but he also has the entirety of New York at his disposal. Unfortunately no hard release date was announced but hopefully we’ll be able to spend a gross amount of time much time with this game in the near future. If you missed the trailer, definitely check it out below and let us know what you think!

5 Biggest Announcements From E3 2017

E3 2017 has finally wrapped up but in its wake are plenty of huge games to be excited for in the coming months. Between Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, it’s hard to decide which company had the best conference between these big 3 and we certainly can’t forget Bethesda or EA. That’s why we’ve decided to pick the biggest announcements and pile them into a convenient list. Don’t forget to let us know your favorite E3 announcements in the comments below!

Xbox One X

Right off the bat, Microsoft wanted fans to know that they were going to make up for last year’s lackluster performance. Announcing that the Xbox One X is more powerful than the PS4 Pro was a big move on the company’s behalf and it paid off. They immediately followed this up with 44 games that were all impressive, indicating that software is going to be a huge focus for the new console and more importantly improving their sad list of exclusives. (RIP Scalebound)

Anthem

Initially revealed during EA’s press conference, Microsoft raised the hype to unprecedented levels by showing this beauty of a gameplay trailer. Exoskeletons, an environment that has its own ecosystem, loot, friends… THIS GAME IS GOING TO BE GREAT! Zip through the sky in your custom exoskeleton and show nature what missiles feel like or go on dungeon like instances with your party. We can’t wait to play this game. Did we mention there’s loot.

Creation Club

One of the biggest things stopping us from using mods in Skyrim and Fallout is that you lose the opportunity to gain trophies or achievements. Bethesda has officially announced their remedy to that situation and it is called creation club. Install mods without fear and earn all the satisfaction possible. The only downside to this is that these “certified” mods will cost you and they are not always cheap, bringing back a model that did not go well when implemented on PC.

Monster Hunter World

Sony surprised us all when it announced that the popular Monster Hunter series would be returning to Playstation consoles. Nintendo has long held a monopoly on these games and it’s time for the big boys to get it back. A flashy trailer was shown off to make sure the crowd was excited and the later gameplay demos confirmed that this title will have us obsessed. Also there are no more loading screens in the hunting zones (YES!).

Super Mario Odyssey

We’ve long been Nintendo fan boys here at Gigamax so this Number 1 E3 2017 announcement may be a little biased. But did you see Mario become that T-Rex with his hat?! Super Mario Odyssey looks like an amazing next step for our overall wearing friend and we could not be more pleased with his new mind control powers. Nintendo is approaching the open world a little differently this time around by having Mario enter the real world and mingle with us in the big city. This is our favorite announcement from E3 and definitely are most anticipated title of this year!

VR Made A Splash At E3 2017

Virtual reality was once a gimmick, often found in arcades or hefty home systems with few games to play. From Nintendo’s first step into this medium to today’s Hololens and Playstation VR, the technology has come a long way. With E3 2017 offering so much information on new games, technology and consoles, it also helped support the idea that VR is becoming much more than a novelty. Rather this technology has now gotten to the point where fully fleshed out games will be available to a mass market and available completely in virtual reality.

Modern virtual reality gaming is a far shot from the early days with the Nintendo ‘Virtual Boy’. With hopes of becoming more than just another expensive gimmick, Sony and the other major virtual reality headset manufacturers want to turn VR into the future of gaming. However, success depends largely on video game developers willingness to take the time and craft games with virtual reality in mind.

Fallout 4

Imagine for a second, wandering the wasteland of Fallout 4 in virtual reality. A complete Fallout experience but the only thing different is that you’re actually right there, in the thick of the nuclear waste. With the snippets of gameplay Bethesda showed off, it’s hard to get a full picture of how incredible this game could actually be with this technology. Any time a game is showed off for a VR console, it can be difficult to get a true idea of just how immersive the game becomes. Nearly everyone that trys on a VR headset, no matter how much research they’ve done on the subject is blown away the first time they see how real that virtual world becomes. Having the ability to play Fallout 4 in its entirety on VR has the potential to be the beginning of something great.

Fallout 4 at E3 Trailer

DOOM VFR

Different kinds of games are coming out for Virtual Reality, not just large open world RPG’s. Those with a need for something a little more shoot-em-up got their fix this E3. DOOM will be coming to PSVR and it looks like a new spin on a classic shooter. Fast paced and gruesome as ever, DOOM VFR looks as though it is absolutely ready to deliver a wild ride.

DOOM VFR at E3 Trailer

Skyrim VR

Now rewind to a world without nukes and instead walking through the expansive world of Skyrim, completely immersed in virtual reality. Skyrim will soon be coming to virtual reality. This game has been released so many time it’s almost starting to get funny. However, even though this release may not include a Master Sword, it will allow a player to get up close and personal like never before with this incredible world. One thing that was clear from the E3 footage, graphics will suffer as they do with almost every VR game out there but the experience may overshadow this drawback.

Skyrim VR at E3 Trailer

Skepticism is high that virtual reality, especially home consoles like the PlayStation VR will take off. This isn’t the first spout of VR consoles to hit the market, but the technology has come so far. Video games have been taken to the next level and VR headsets are able to deliver that immersive experience gamers were always chasing. It’ll take some time before we see what the future may hold for Virtual Reality gaming but E3 offered the community some hope.

Be sure to check back soon as we breakdown even more announcements from E3 and take a closer look at the Tech, Games and Updates to make the big screen.